I am a huge fan of crime fiction based around unsolved cases and Knife River was a really powerful and atmospheric example. It was definitely a slow-burn thriller with a lot of switching between the events in the past and the present day investigation but I really loved the relationship between the two sisters, it was refreshing to see a slightly more strained relationship and it gave a realistic feel to the story. What was quite unusual here was that the story went off in a different direction and looked at the fallout of the murder and how it affected the lives of Liz and Jess rather than looking at the investigation from the perspective of the police. A fantastic and emotional debut.

This really isn't a "thriller;" it's somewhat of a "mystery" but what it is more than anything is a deep dive into the relationship between two sisters who share the emotional circumstance of the disappearance of their mother, and how they coped with that in very different ways. Jess took off as soon as she could, while Liz remained in the home, hoping for any news about their mother. Upon the discovery of their mother's remains 15 years later, Jess returns home, and the two sisters begin to build their relationship back up again. The book beautifully describes how everyone deals with grief in different ways, and highlights how even if you think you understand someone's motivation for the choices they make, these choices really are personal and private, and no one can see anyone else's bigger picture. Both Jess and Liz are complex, complicated characters dealing with their own inner demons, and I enjoyed both of them for their differences. I also really enjoyed how the author chose to end the book; it was one of the better book endings I've read and wrapped things up in a way that I wasn't left hanging, and allowed the characters to privately move on with their lives.

Knife River is Justine Champine’s debut novel. And I must say, I hope she writes more novels, because I’m a fan. I love her writing style and the characters were extremely realistic.

You may see the 3.something average rating on Good Reads and wonder why that is. I’m assuming it’s because one of the genres for this book is listed as thriller. This is not a thriller, not one ounce. This is a literary fiction, family drama, with a hint of mystery.

This book is about two sisters navigating their grief over the loss of their mother. Their mother went missing when they were 13 & 19 years of age, her remains are then found 15 years later. For me, the story was more about the sisters coping with how to live life after their mother’s disappearance, as well as coming back together after spending years (about 10) being apart as adults. Second to the sister’s relationship, we find them trying to piece together what happened to their mother. We get a cast of characters in the small town of Knife River of who it might possibly be.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Would recommend. 4.25-4.5⭐️

I loved Knife River so much! This one reminded me a lot of my reading experiences with Liz Moore, Gillian Flynn and even Karin Slaughter a bit. It was that perfect blend of literary suspense, and ultimately a family story about sisterhood, and also how we view our parents from different lenses as siblings, which I really appreciated as someone who grew up with siblings. These characters were very flawed, but you just feel for them so much and there were some monologues between the sisters by the end that had my jaw on the floor, I was legit crying because they are outbursts that happen in families who have experienced serious trauma, that you hold in for years and years and then they just spill out of you in an explosive way, and it was incredibly powerful and raw. I also think that the mystery itself unfolded brilliantly, and by the end I was so satisfied with where the author took everything. I especially loved the very very end. This was a 5 star book for me, and I think would make a great summer suspense to add to your beach bag.

In short, This story is about two sisters trying to find the person who killed their mother. There were lots of twists and turns right up to the end. I thought the book was okay, however I had a hard time finishing it. Perhaps it was me?

When I read the blurb for Knife River, I was intrigued. I read it after some internal debate (because I always do that with these books) and am glad I did. This book is a poignant and heartbreaking look into life after a loved one disappears. It also explores what the family goes through when a victim is found.

The main storyline of Knife River follows Jess. Jess was thirteen when her mother disappeared. Her mother’s disappearance and her older sister raising her had a drastic impact on Jess. She drifted from one relationship to another and kept everyone (including family) at arm’s length. One day, she receives a phone call from her older sister that turns her world upside down. Her mother’s body had been found, and she needed a home. Jess is determined to understand why her mother disappeared and looks for answers. The deeper she digs, the more she uncovers about her mother; not all is good. The answers she seeks might be different from what she wants to hear.

Knife River is a slow book. The slowness grated on me in places, but I understood why the author chose to keep it at this pace. The book needed to be slow to understand Jess’s state of mind and her actions throughout the book.

Jess was not likable, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. Sometimes, she couldn’t get out of her own way and made things worse for herself. She also did and said things that made my eyebrows raise and made me wonder, “Why?” She was so damaged, and the author didn’t sugarcoat it.

The mystery of Jess’s mother’s disappearance was very well written. The author did a great job of showing what went into investigating a cold case and trying to find leads after fifteen years. She showed Jess and her sister’s frustration with the police when they stopped communicating with them about the case (of course, there was another reason why). I also liked Jess’s investigation and how she accidentally stumbled upon the truth of what happened. That was a massive twist to the disappearance. It was one that I didn’t see coming and took me completely by surprise.

The end of Knife River left me with more questions than answers. I was confused as to what happened with Jess and the girl she was sleeping with and why she just sat on the confession she got. But I did like that Jess and her sister had grown closer at the end of the book and, in a way, started healing from their mother’s disappearance.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Random House, The Dial Press, NetGalley, and Justine Champine for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Knife River. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

A story about two young women in how they deal with their mother’s unresolved disappearance and how this event has also shaped their lives. An interesting, somewhat slow literary thriller with much emotion and depth. I liked this - fine. Will be curious to see what this author writes next.
Recommend!

I enjoyed the story but it just lacked that certain something to make it great.....for me. Maybe it's because two of my children and I am on the spectrum? I just thought it was over done in that area.

I read this family drama story and the writing was truly beautiful. For some reason the story just didn’t resonate with me the way I was hoping it would. I love stories about family reconnecting but this one didn’t draw me in.

Gosh, this novel was thought provoking, the words were sometimes enchanting, and the first half of the book was really well done. The mystery had me wondering what happened, where the sisters had been in each others lives for so many years, and when remains were found, I was engaged.

Unfortunately, as I read on, the story went from here to there, hither and yon, and I was frequently forcing myself to get through another chapter.

As a debut novel, the first half was my favorite. The ending was good too. I just had a problem with the middle bit.

3.5 stars rounding up to 4. I did enjoy most of it. I just felt lost at the mid-point.

The synopsis makes this book seem like it will be more of a thriller/mystery than it is. It’s a literary thriller and it’s quite slow, focusing on Jess and her sister Liz and how the disappearance of their mom shaped and impacted them over the years. Both of them also struggled with relationships in different ways. They never got a lot of answers and the disappearance of their mother wasn’t investigated as heavily as one would think.
I spent a lot of time wondering if this would be a DNF because it was slow and I didn’t know what the point of any of it was at first, but I’m glad I stuck it out because I really liked the way it ended and felt it was worth the effort in the end.
Knife River is a great pick for fans of literary fiction with a bit of mystery and i definitely recommend it to the right audience. But if you’re looking for a fast paced/edge of your seat type of book, this isn’t the one!

There is plenty of family drama, coming to terms with oneself and small-town attitude in this first novel by Champine. At times it seems to drift along with Jess and Liz without a clear destination but the author does wrap it up with a positive definitive ending.

Thank you to Dial Press and Net Galley for the advanced reader copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this extremely well-written debut thriller. Jess, a woman in her late 20s, drifting somewhat aimlessly through life, gets a call from her sister informing her the remains of their mother--missing since she was 13--have been found. Jess journeys back to Knife River in upstate NY,, a town seemingly frozen in time, to a past she thought she left behind. What follows is a story about self introspection..how their mother's disappearance profoundly affected both sisters and the life choices they made, and continue to make.

Book was beautifully written but very slow in parts. There was a whole section where Jess dwells on her sexuality, which I didn't necessarily think was central to the plot and would've been fine without it. However, the ending more than made up for it.

Would recommend.

After the mysterious disappearance of their mother, Liz and Jess have gone their separate ways. Liz , stuck in the past, stayed in Knife River hoping her mother would return someday. Jess running away from the situation as soon as she could. Each stuck in their own way. It’s been fifteen long years since their mother disappeared. Years of not knowing what happened, stunted years stuck without answers, but when bones are found, Jess heads back to Knife River. The two are now on a quest for answers, but will the bones tell the story they so desperately need, or is it too late for closure? Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

A meandering tale of Jess and her older sister Liz as they struggle to come to terms with the discovery of what may have happened to their mother years after her disappearance. Just as they believe their mother's killer is brought to justice, an unexpected twist in the story left this reader feeling a bit dissatisfied with the ending. It seemed as if there was a lot of building up to a fairly big let down in the end.

"Knife River" by Justine Champine is a haunting and emotional novel about Jess, who has been haunted by her mother's mysterious disappearance since she was thirteen. Fifteen years later, living an aimless life, Jess is forced to confront her past when her mother's remains are discovered.

Champine masterfully captures the pain of unresolved grief and the complexities of sisterhood. The small-town setting adds depth to this poignant story of loss, survival, and the search for closure. "Knife River" is a compelling and beautifully written read that lingers long after the last page.

This was a “would you like to read” from Random House and the description was intriguing enough that I had to say yes. And while it was a mystery (it begins with the discovery of a skull), it is so much more than that. It is also about how differently people handle tragedy and grief and not just the sisters, Liz and Jess whose lives are completely upended when their mother disappears after going for a walk one day, but also the people close to them and their mother.

The book was very, very real to me. So much so that at one point I had to look up the author (I was completely satisfied with her knowledge). The ending is worth the trip because by the end of the book you understand completely why Jess does what she does as well as the choices made by other characters. Definitely worth the read!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story! It’s about a girl returning to her hometown to see her sister after being gone for many years. They had a difficult childhood since their mother disappeared when they were young and they struggled to fend for themselves. Suspicions also emerged regarding their mother’s disappearance and subsequent murder. I found it intriguing and thought provoking, and it was beautifully written. I would recommend to anyone who likes mysteries and family drama!

Jess is called back to Knife River when the remains of her mother, who disappeared fifteen years ago, are discovered. Jess moves back in and reconnects with her older sister, gets reacquainted with the small town life she fled, and gets frustrated with the lack of urgency she and her sister experience with the investigation.

There's a good story here, but it's buried under pages and pages of Jess's inner thoughts. A conversation may have three lines of dialogue but covers three pages because we must explore with Jess every ramification and every memory before she can respond. I found it tiresome, and not that interesting, to be in her head. The story meandered and we were in two star territory until Champine delivered on the ending.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

This queer literary thriller (yes, another one!) leaned into the “literary” half of its genre in its compassionate and nuanced portrayal of a fraught sibling relationship and the discomfort of coming home to a small town you thought you’d escaped a long time ago.

The main character, whose mother disappeared when she was a child, returns to her family’s home (and her older sister) after remains, believed to be her mother’s, are found. The character study parts of this, and the protag’s relationship with her sister and her high school ex-girlfriend, are definitely the high point; she’s very human and very well-written.

The central mystery does end up solved (I won’t say how), but I actually think the book would have been better if it had remained a mystery; the inhabiting of liminal spaces is really where the story shines. Without spoilers, though, the end resolves in a way which is not at all unclear, and very satisfying. Recommended!

Thank you to The Dial Press and Netgalley for the advance copy!